Cincinnati-Style Chili

I love chili, especially in the winter. But since Southern California is lacking in the typical seasons department, I have to settle for chili in the summer. I also have to settle for chili without beans because my husband refuses to eat anything with beans. Finding a chili recipe without beans is incredibly hard. I’ve looked through a ton of recipes and they all seem to be lacking something… beans. I finally stumbled upon this Cincinnati-Style Chili recipe on recipezaar.com.

I’ve never had Cincinnati Chili before which makes sense because I’ve never been to Cincinnati. I’d heard of it, of course, but I wasn’t exactly sure what it was and what made it special. So I googled it and this is what I learned!

You can never order just a bowl of Cincinnati Chili- it always comes 2-way and some restaurants only serve it 3-way. So it can be ordered:

3-way: Spaghetti with chili, covered with shredded cheddar cheese

4-way: Spaghetti with chili, then cheese, then onions

5-way: Spaghetti, beans, chili, cheese and onions

2 lbs ground chuck
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 quart water
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce 1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons chili powder2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 bay leaf, crumbled
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 drops Tabasco Sauce
2 teaspoons paprika
2 beef bouillon cubes
Cooked Spaghetti noodles
Shredded Cheese
Kidney beans (optional)

Bring the water to the boil and add the ground beef. Stir until the beef is separated and add the rest of the ingredients.

Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 to 3 hours, or until thickened. Cool, then refrigerate overnight. Skim off any accumulated fat and reheat the chili. Serve any way you want!

I had a hard time finding a recipe for this since I had never tried it. I went by comments on the website and found out that you boil the beef, you never brown it. You also don’t add onions to the chili; they are always served separately.

I had mine 5-way so I could have beans, while Neil has his 3-way. Neil loved it but I wasn't a fan. I much prefer the southwestern taste of chili.